Boating with Sunset Delight: 2021: NC Mile Hammock anchorage

1 May 2021

Depart: Anchorage Cape Fear River, NC 9:35

Arrive: Anchorage Mile Hammock Bay, NC 4:10

Distance: 54 nm

Conditions: 60s, North-east wind, long pants day

From 4:00 to 5:30 a.m. we got no sleep last night. We literally had a rough night on the Cape Fear River as winds picked up to 30 knots. The boat pulled and bucked against the anchor line like a bronco at a rodeo. I found it impossible to sleep with the wild bouncing of the boat.

After the worst of the wind passed and the boat settled down, we managed to get some more sleep. This, in addition to waiting for the tide to change, caused a bit of a delayed start to today's travels. The benefit of the wait for the tide change gave us a speed of 10.5 knots at 1570 RPM versus yesterday when we saw a speed of 7 knots at the same RPM.

Choppy waters on the Cape Fear River

With temperatures predicted to be in the 60s with a northerly wind, I dressed in long sleeves and long pants. As the morning progressed I added more and more layers until I had a total of 5 layers of shirts and jackets keeping me protected from the chill air.

We had hoped / planned to travel on the ocean today, but with such a late start, we could not make our end destination in daylight. Given that, we changed our travel plans and stayed on the ICW for today's trip.

Most of what we saw today proved to be a repeat of prior trips over this section of the ICW.

Interesting landscapes ...

Long docks ...

Super long dock

An odd-shaped house ...

and bridge openings ...

We approached the Wrightsville Bridge before noon, but we still had some way to go against current to get there. Expecting to need to try to squeeze under due to missing the noon opening, Clark lowered the antennas on the boat to bring down our vertical clearance requirements. As we neared the bridge, we realized that even with everything lowered, we would never get through without an opening. The max clearance when we arrived was only 15 feet as opposed to the 20 feet we expected.

The bridge opened at noon for other traffic. We thought we might get the bridge closed in our faces and have to wait a half hour for the next opening. Fortunately, the bridge tender was kind enough to hold it for us. He talked to us on the VHF radio and told us to hurry up but watch our wake as we passed the marinas before the bridge. He admitted he was contradicting himself - go fast but go slow. He said he wanted us to hurry, so he wouldn't feel a need to keep it open for the sailboat coming the other way. We arrived at the bridge at 12:05 and snuck through.

At the Figure 8 Bridge, two boats ahead of us needed the bridge opened. This bridge tender did not think any of us would reach his bridge in time for his 12:30 opening; however, we all fooled him. The first and then the second boat both reached the 1/2 mile from bridge demarcation he specified before opening time, so he said he would open for them.

Because we still had a ways to go to reach the bridge, Clark told the bridge tender we would not need an opening. Then we went back and lowered the mast in anticipation of having to pass under with the bridge closed. With a clearance of 20.5 feet, we could get under by dropping our mast. Our antennas were still down from the last bridge.

However, as we approached the bridge, it became more and more apparent that he planned to hold it open for us. He called on the radio and confirmed this even though Clark said it was not necessary. We slid under the open bridge at 12:35.

Had we known that both bridge tenders would be so generous today, we could have saved some effort and not lowered the mast or antennas. With no more bridges expected today, we put the mast back up after transiting the bridge.

On today's voyage, we also saw

Fishing trawlers ...